Pyrodex pellets

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I went to the range this past weekend and saw for my first time Pyrodex pellets being used. At first I didn't think anything of the other shooter who was using those things, or even what he was using at the time. After I finished my shot, I stood back and watched other shooters on the line. This one individual was interesting to watch. I couldn't figure out just what he was shooting. It looked like tracer and smoke rounds. Each shot sounded different from the other shooters. What I found really interesting and a bit concerning were the fireballs coming out of his weapon. Those brightly burning and smoking projectiles went down range ten to fifteen yards before dropping to the ground. Even on the ground some of those things burned for a very brief time.
I just had to go and see what he was shooting. He showed me his supply of Pyrodex pellets and said they were approx 50 grains each. It sure didn't seem like the prudent thing to be carrying out into the field for hunting. I have seen range fires started from tracers and just plain old ball ammo, but the Pyrodex seemed to have those others beat for potential trouble making.

 

[rice1817]

Not to mention how many people are willing to pay more than twice as much for the pelletized BP substitutes as a pound of loose would cost! That is a lot to pay for the "convenience" of blowing unburned pellets out your muzzle, and for being able to load any charge you want, provided it is in 50 grain increments. 100 grains of loose BP would probably not completely burn up in a short barreled gun!

 

[jtmattison]

He was probably one of the poor saps who believe the hype from the manufacturers and was out shooting three 50 grain pellets out of a barrel too short to burn them.
I have seen them come out burning like that. It's funny to see but scary when you think of it happening in the dry woods.

HD

 

[chapmans]

Another problem with them when hunting is they don't always ignite both pellets and you end up wounding a deer because you only are shooting 50 grs. instead of 100

 

[BrownBear]

I'd be dead if I was a cat, cuzz curiosity always gets the best of me. A couple of years ago I bought a box and tried them in one of those unmentionable guns. Worked fine, just like advertized. I used half a dozen.

But I wanted to see what would happen over the course of time in our wet climate. Now mind you, I was doing this in the summer when it's mostly humidity rather than rain.

I shot some of them once a week till the box pretty near ran out. They worked as advertized in sessions 2 and 3, but in session 4 I had trouble getting them to light off with my gun (#11 capper). It's easy to see why the guys switch to musket caps and ultimately to 209's.

By session #6 I gave up. It took three or four caps to get ignition, and when I did they acted just like you describe. And Roman candles are a lot cheaper than those things up here.

I gave up on them and never finished the box. If an open box can start going south in a month, that's way too expensive. Heck, I've had cans of loose pyro sitting after opening for over a year in the same cabinet where those pellets were stored, and experienced no problems whatsoever.

 

[jercon]

I do a lot of shoots for 6th grade school kids, when I saw the pellets I thought that was the cats Meow! just drop one down the barrel Patch Ball and it would save me a lot if time and work. Till we tryed it!.we were using styrofoam backers and they did look like tracers.they would stick in the backer set it a fire.Kids would hoot and holler Laugh At my fire makers LOL.So much for the Pellets .THERE A REAL FIRE HAZARD! :surrender:

 

[Claude Mathis]

I do a lot of shoots for 6th grade school kids, when I saw the pellets I thought that was the cats Meow! just drop one down the barrel Patch Ball and it would save me a lot if time and work. Till we tryed it!.we were using styrofoam backers and they did look like tracers.they would stick in the backer set it a fire.Kids would hoot and holler Laugh At my fire makers LOL.So much for the Pellets .THERE A REAL FIRE HAZARD! :surrender:

Do you do these shoots to teach the kids how it was done, historically?

 

[jercon]

I do not use Flint locks for the kids.I do use them my self all of the time. But I do teach them how to measure powder.patch ball loading cleaning Ect.